Contractors handling various cargo survey projects of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, have cried out over persistent delay in their payments amounting to billions of naira.
The contractors, who were duly engaged after a competitive bidding process by the NPA in 2024 and met their contractual obligations, wondered why the authority, under the supervision minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, withheld their payments.
DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that despite multiple appeals to Mr Oyetola and the leadership of the NPA, the authority had defaulted in payment.
Sources familiar with the development said the delayed payments have raised serious concerns about the federal government’s nonchalant attitude in meeting its contractual obligations.
One of the contractors who pleaded anonymity lamented that most firms had spent billions of naira in executing the contracts but had yet to receive payment for their services to the nation.
The source claimed that many of these companies had made significant capital investments in infrastructure and equipment.
The source said: “We have submitted invoices covering vessels and their quantities to respective port managers for certification of work done in accordance with contract specifications. Invoices are processed and sent to the NPA headquarters in Marina, Lagos, for payment.”
The source added that, “since June 2024, invoices for the covered period have been withheld, despite the completion of the required services.
“All invoices forwarded to Marina by the port managers, after due checks by responsible departments, have been accepted and documented on the MD’s table. Subsequent invoices have also been received but approvals for payment remain pending,” said the source.
The source, therefore, appealed to Mr Oyetola and the management of the NPA to settle all outstanding payments, arguing that the delays are damaging the credibility of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
When contacted for response, the NPA spokesman Ikechukwu Chika-Onyemekara, didn’t respond to our correspondent’s phone calls and SMS sent to his known mobile number.
Efforts to speak with Mr Oyetola’s spokesman proved abortive, but an official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the minister wasn’t the cause of the payment delays.
The official further said Mr Oyetola had, in recent times, led the management of the NPA to a meeting with the Minister of Finance and the Accountant General of the Federation with a view to ensuring that all contractors are paid.
“The minister has no role in the day-to-day activities of the NPA. I can confirm to you that the minister had recently led the MD of NPA to the minister of finance over the non-payments of contractors generally.
“The man who is making such efforts can’t be said to be an impediment to any contractor.
“Probably, the nonpayment may be as a result of the non-release of funds from the Ministry of Finance and the Accountant General’s office,” the associate said.
